Small Brown Bird - for real

A long time ago, when I was much younger than I am today, I wrote a little romantic comedy called Small Brown Bird. It never got made, but it was optioned for a while and it opened a few doors for me. I blogged about it quite recently here.

It was about a naturalist and a fanatical birdwatcher brought together by the unexpected arrival of a rare migrant never before seen in the UK - an Eastern Crowned Warbler.

I did a lot of research into rare birds before deciding that my rare migrant would be an Eastern Crowned Warbler. It had to be inconspicuous, but attractive. And it had to be something that would really make any self-respecting twitcher sit up and take note.

The whole script was written on the basis that this species had never before turned up in this country.

And now...

... it has.

Aaaargh!

I know the chances of my little script ever being picked up was always pretty minimal, but now, if it does, I'll have to go right back to the very beginning and find a new "small brown bird" to base the whole thing on.

I'm very upset.

But I'm also very pleased to see that thousands of twitchers are indeed heading north to see this little creature. Just like in my script.

Wouldn't it be nice if, amongst the thousands, at least two of them find love as well. Just like in my script.

Small Brown Bird

I've just read a good news story over at David Lemon's blog about a film called The Hide.

A film about listers ("twitchers" to the less than savvy) - imagine that! Sounds excellent.


(photograph copyright Robin Newlin)


And then I realised that I have never blogged about my own lister movie that never quite made it to the big screen.

Small Brown Bird was my third attempt to write a screenplay (one day I'll tell you about Musclebound Hero and Glen Haggis). It got me my first (token) option fee, and an introduction to a BBC producer. That producer introduced me to my agent, and got me writing for Doctors. And, somewhere along the line, I'm pretty sure it played a part in getting me into the BBC Writers' Academy.

So, although it never got made, I am extremely fond of Small Brown Bird.

The option ran out years ago. But, as birding movies are clearly in the zeitgeist, allow me to pimp it one more time...

Sylvia’s social life is about as barren as the wildlife reserve she manages, until a rare migrant bird tempts several hundred birdwatching men into her remote and fragile world, including Henry - an investment analyst, renowned warbler expert and confirmed bachelor.

If anyone's interested in a low-budget, rural, romantic comedy about a lost Phylloscopus coronatus, give me a call.